A Matter of Consent
by Knowing Grace
Summary: The time has come for Mr. Darcy to let go of his only daughter. But will he make the right decision and allow her to follow her heart? A one-shot.


**Hullo again! I'm back with another one-shot! This piece isn't at all related to my other P &P story _From This Day Forward and Forever,_ I just wanted to say that so I don't confuse any of my readers. ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Pride and Prejudice,_ it belongs to the fabulous Miss Jane Austen. Any copyright infringement is unintentional.**

* * *

 ** _A Matter of Consent_**

 ** _by Knowing Grace_**

"No."

"But, Papa-"

"I said no, Anna, and there's an end to it!" Instantly, I regretted my harsh tone as tears filled her lovely, green eyes that were the very image of her mother's. Opening my mouth, I was about to apologize, but before I was able to do so she bolted from the room—slamming the door to my private office in her wake. I ran my fingers through my greying hair, letting out a pent up sigh as I did so.

After fathering four sons, I never thought to have a daughter. When the midwife told me that our fifth and final child was a girl, I was terrified by the prospect. True, I had raised my sister, Georgiana ever since our father's untimely death when she was but eleven years of age. That, however, was entirely different.

I needn't have worried though, for I found myself utterly entranced by our child. The moment I first caught sight of her in her mother's arms I fell in love, and that very night while Elizabeth lay sleeping, I promised that I would do anything within my power to see to our daughter's happiness.

As the years passed and she grew into a headstrong little girl, I found my love for her only deepened, as it had for my sons as well. Oh, there had been times when I was obliged to stand firm and deny some of her more inappropriate desires; she was her mother's daughter after all: all wild, brown curls and indomitable spirit. And I loved her all the more for it. She ran her brothers ragged—a fact which gave me secret pleasure and earned me my fair share of eye-rolls from my wife, who had gotten it into her head that I positively spoiled the child. She was my princess and I was wrapped quite snugly around her little finger.

 _Where did I err?_

A gentle hand caressed my shoulder and an instant later, I was surrounded by the familiar, soothing fragrance of lavender.

"I take it you refused to given them your consent?" The question was gently spoken and I nodded my head in answer. Her hand slipped away from me and she settled into a nearby chair, sliding her feet up beneath her—a habit that no amount of scolding on Mrs. Bennet's part had been able to break her of. "Fitzwilliam, you know that I love you. I have stood by you through everything: the birth of five children, the loss of two infants before their entrance into this world, Georgiana's marriage, and even the passing of your beloved uncle. But I feel as though you have just made one of the gravest mistakes of your life and I cannot, in all good conscience, stand by without informing you of my opinion on this matter."

My head snapped up as my anger stirred to life at her words, but I managed to control it...if only a bit. "Indeed, Madam. And how have you come to such a conclusion?" I could tell from the fire in her eyes that she had detected my ill-concealed displeasure and had felt her own temper inflamed by it in turn.

"Quite easily, I can assure you, sir. You have but to look at our daughter and you will see how happy John makes her. Even a blind man could see the affection shared between them."

"You know why I cannot grant them my blessing. John Cowper is a fine young man, I grant you, but he is the youngest son of a baronet. He has no income, no connexions, nothing upon which he and Anna could live upon. I cannot allow them to wed with such things as this to lend condemnation to their match. My conscience forbids it."

"No connexions? No income? Fitzwilliam, those things hardly prevented you from wedding me. I thought that I had managed to cure you of all such stuffy notions, or do you not recall that we both came to the conclusion long ago that love was the only thing needed between a man and a woman to insure wedded bliss?" When I said nothing to this, she continued. "And what about Edmund? You allowed our son to marry Diana, the daughter of a barrister—even though he also is a younger son and should have made an advantageous match with a young lady of rank and substantial fortune, if your views and that of the _ton_ are to be believed.

John and I have quite a bit in common, you must admit. We have, both of us, fallen for someone far and away above our own stations in life. You have never faulted me for loving you, have you? We have known John all of his life; he is a gentle, generous, and kind man and I feel that he will be a good spouse for our daughter. Please, Fitzwilliam, please make good on your vow to Anna and allow her to be happy in her own choice of a husband."

I stared at her, flabbergasted. "H-How did you...?"

She smiled sweetly up at me, and I felt my resolve weakening, as she well knew it would. "You assumed I was asleep when you swore your oath to her." Just as quickly as the smile appeared, it disappeared and was replaced by a serious expression. "They are in love. I know Anna is only seventeen and still full young for such notions, but she has found the one whom her soul loveth*; please, do not deny her this. I would not have you turning out to be alike to Lady Catherine in your old age; indeed, I could not bear it if you did."

Reaching over, she placed her hand on the sleeve of my jacket and I could feel the warmth of her touch through the thick fabric. I could see the earnestness of her entreaty upon her fair face. Even after five and twenty years of marriage, I loved her just as much as the day we wed; nay, even more so for I had come to know her better with each passing hour of our acquaintance and felt my affections for her deepen with the test of time.

I saw the truth in her words and felt instant shame. Who was I to force my own daughter to refuse a proposal simply because the man in question was poor and decidedly not of my circle?

 _Honour, decorum, prudence, gratitude the interest of others*_...had I truly used such trivial things to defend my reason for refusing Anna's request, forcing her to reject John's suit mere moments ago? How my daughter must despise me for it! When had I taken the views of Lady Catherine de Bourgh to heart and made them my own? I shook my head. Such a thought was not to be borne. To be compared to my ill-mannered, proud, and vulgar late Aunt was the worst sort of insult I could have ever received in my entire life; Elizabeth knew that all too well.

Yes, I was proud, but was pride in one's family truly all that terrible? If I were to be honest, indeed brutally so, with myself, it was not the inferiority of the match that I was so opposed to. No, it was the fact that I did not wish to let go of my daughter—my little girl who had now proved herself to be a grown woman—so soon. I had once entertained the foolish notion that she would remain at Pemberley with Elizabeth and myself forever.

Though John had no fortune, he was a diligent and hard working young man, and, unlike my profligate brother-in-law, Wickham, he was determined to take up orders and become an ordained minister once his studies were completed. He was a man of principles and I genuinely liked him. I only resented him because he would, if given the chance and my blessing, take Anna away from me once and for all. All other reasons for them to not be joined together paled in comparison to that one, simple fact.

I was being selfish; it was unfair and ungentlemanly of me to keep them apart by refusing to allow them to become engaged to one another.

A sigh escaped my lips and I gave my wife a wan smile.

"I truly have made a shocking mess of things, haven't I, Elizabeth?"

She arched a greying eyebrow at me. "Oh, no more so that usual."

Lunging forward, I raised her from her seat, caught her up in my arms and kissed her soundly. "Imp!" I cried when we had both regained our breath.

When our ardour had sufficiently cooled, she looked me in the eye."You are aware that the rector of Kympton has been speaking of retiring come next year?"

"Mmmhmmm..." I pressed a kiss to her throat and felt the shiver that ran through her slender form, but she refused to give in to distraction.

"Therefore, you would be free to grant the living to John when it becomes vacant. He only has another year before he takes orders, does he not?"

"Yes." I whispered hoarsely, halting my caresses to look her in the eye.

"Well, if you require a year-long engagement from them, once he is installed as the new rector, he will be able to offer Anna a little something more than just a roof over her head.

To that, I said nothing; I merely pressed my forehead against hers, savouring the intimate moment. At length, I spoke."I cannot lose her."

She brushed her fingertips against my cheek. "Oh, Fitzwilliam, you never shall, not really." Her lips curved up into a smile that melted my heart for the millionth time. "She is your daughter after all and is quite attached to our extensive library here at Pemberley. I believe that she will always return to peruse its contents, which seems to be forever expanding in size."

"Teasing woman!" I exclaimed as she gave me a saucy look.

"I do believe that was the main reason that you married me, good sir."

I tweaked her nose, but I knew that our antics would have to come to a close. The smile slipped from my face and I gave her one last, long kiss before releasing her.

"Will you fetch Anna for me? I fear I have an apology to make and a blessing to give."

She nodded and turned to exit the chamber.

"Elizabeth?" I called and she faced me once more. "Am I doing the right thing?"

She stepped towards me and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "In all of the years that I have known you, dearest husband, you have always made the right decision. Though, you do require some coaxing from time to time, but that is what a wife is for, is it not—to inform her husband when he is in the wrong?" With that, she slipped from the room and was lost to my sight.

 **~Finis~**

*Song of Solomon 3:4 KJV

*A paraphrased quote from Lady Catherine de Bourgh found in chapter 56 of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.


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